December 2023 Price Concessions 2nd Update
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Following discussions between Community Pharmacy England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding medicine pricing issues reported by pharmacy owners, the Department has today (20/12/2023) announced the following list of price concessions for December 2023.
Community Pharmacy England has received a large number of reports of products not available at their Drug Tariff listed prices this month. We reviewed and submitted price concession applications as early as possible to try and reach agreement on these as early as possible. The below is the second set of agreed concessions but we are waiting to hear back from DHSC on many more lines.
| Drug | Pack size | Price concession |
| Amiodarone 200mg tablets | 28 | £1.83 |
| Azithromycin 250mg capsules | 6 | £1.73 |
| Carbocisteine 250mg/5ml oral solution | 300 | £6.86 |
| Chlorphenamine 2mg/5ml oral solution sugar free | 150 | £3.65 |
| Cinacalcet 30mg tablets | 28 | £7.18 |
| Clarithromycin 125mg/5ml oral suspension | 70 | £4.43 |
| Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets | 30 | £1.32 |
| Co-codamol 30mg/500mg tablets | 100 | £4.40 |
| Colecalciferol 1,000unit capsules | 30 | £7.69 |
| Dorzolamide 20mg/ml eye drops | 5 | £3.43 |
| Doxazosin 4mg tablets | 28 | £0.91 |
| Escitalopram 10mg tablets | 28 | £1.27 |
| Etoricoxib 90mg tablets | 28 | £2.90 |
| Fludrocortisone 100microgram tablets | 30 | £6.32 |
| Haloperidol 5mg tablets | 28 | £4.62 |
| Hydrocortisone 1% cream | 15 | £2.80 |
| Hydrocortisone 1% cream | 30 | £3.35 |
| Hydrocortisone 1% cream | 50 | £2.96 |
| Ketoconazole 2% shampoo | 120 | £19.40 |
| Lamotrigine 100mg tablets | 56 | £4.07 |
| Lansoprazole 15mg gastro-resistant capsules | 28 | £0.93 |
| Lansoprazole 15mg orodispersible tablets | 28 | £2.84 |
| Memantine 10mg/ml oral solution sugar free | 50 | £45.03 |
| Metformin 500mg/5ml oral solution sugar free | 150 | £27.90 |
| Montelukast 10mg tablets | 28 | £2.68 |
| Montelukast 5mg chewable tablets sugar free | 28 | £1.21 |
| Morphine sulfate 10mg/5ml oral solution | 300 | £5.45 |
| Oxycodone 5mg/5ml oral solution sugar free | 250 | £9.60 |
| Piroxicam 0.5% gel | 60 | £2.12 |
| Piroxicam 0.5% gel | 112 | £3.96 |
| Pyridostigmine bromide 60mg tablets | 200 | £28.00 |
| Rasagiline 1mg tablets | 28 | £20.23 |
| Risperidone 1mg/ml oral solution sugar free | 100 | £3.16 |
| Risperidone 2mg tablets | 60 | £2.03 |
| Risperidone 4mg tablets | 60 | £2.39 |
| Simvastatin 80mg tablets | 28 | £1.95 |
| Sodium valproate 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free | 300 | £10.21 |
| Sulpiride 200mg tablets | 30 | £3.44 |
| Sulpiride 200mg/5ml oral solution sugar free | 150 | £102.45 |
| Timolol 0.5% eye drops | 5 | £1.89 |
For the full list of price concessions granted so far for December 2023, please visit our webpage: cpe.org.uk/priceconcessions
No additional endorsements are required for price concessions. A price concession only applies for the month it is granted; any prices agreed for concessions requested late in the month will roll over into the following month.
We encourage pharmacies to report any problems obtaining a Part VIII product at or below the stated Drug Tariff price, using the online feedback form on the Community Pharmacy England website. Please include full details of the supplier and price paid for any products sourced above the Drug Tariff price. We will investigate the extent of the problem and, if appropriate, discuss the issue with DHSC.
Please subscribe to our mailing list to receive email updates of any price concessions.
Further information on price concessions and FAQs about the process involved can be found on our website (cpe.org.uk/priceconcessions) To hear more on how the current price concessions system operates, pharmacy teams can now access a recording of our recent Medicines Supply and Concessions Briefing webinar here.
Improvements to the price concession system
Following significant concerns raised by pharmacies about the unsustainable level of prices imposed by DHSC in second half of 2022, it was agreed that an urgent review of the price concession setting system would take place.
Since this announcement, we have sent a strong and clear message back to Government that pharmacies cannot continue to subsidise the NHS medicines bill. Following the review of the concessionary price process, a package of measures has been developed to improve the system.
One of the solutions agreed between us and DHSC is that from 1st April 2023, all products granted a concessionary price will be classified as ‘Discount Not Deducted’ for the month(s) in which they are on concession.
Furthermore, from May 2023, DHSC has implemented a process to roll over prices to the following month for any concessions requested after the 23rd of the month provided these prices were agreed with us. We are also continuing to work with DHSC on how a ‘retrospective increased payment’ may apply, where appropriate. Further information regarding this concession ‘top-up’ mechanism will be issued once details are finalised.
